MOBILE BODY CONTROL DEVICE, MOBILE BODY CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

To provide a mobile control device capable of moving a plurality of vehicles as one group with a higher degree of freedom, a mobile control method, and a program.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a mobile control device comprising a positional relation grasping unit for grasping a positional relation of a plurality of vehicles and a vehicle control unit for controlling moving modes of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relation. The vehicle control unit controls the plurality of vehicles so as to move as one group and changes, in accordance with moving results of partial vehicles in the plurality of vehicles, the moving modes of the other vehicles different from the partial vehicles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile object control device, a mobile object control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a method for moving a group of inverted pendulum type vehicles has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 considers a method in which a group of vehicles are connected in a row in the front-to-rear direction using a string-like body such as a wire or chain, and the vehicles travel in a row while the vehicle traveling in front (hereinafter referred to as the front vehicle) pulls the vehicle traveling behind (hereinafter referred to as the rear vehicle). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5337650 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when passengers of multiple vehicles travel together as a group, if the vehicles are connected by a string, there are limitations on the distance and positional relationship, which makes it inconvenient when you want to change these. If the vehicles are traveling, it is inconvenient because you must first stop the vehicles. Even when stopped, it is necessary to change the connection of the string, which is time-consuming.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a mobile body control device, a mobile body control method, and a program that can move multiple vehicles as a group with greater freedom. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A mobile object control device, a mobile object control method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configuration.

[0007] (1): A mobile body control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a positional relationship grasping unit that grasps the positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles, and a vehicle control unit that controls the movement patterns of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship, and the vehicle control unit controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group and changes the movement patterns of other vehicles different from the plurality of vehicles in accordance with the movement results of some of the plurality of vehicles.

[0008] (2): In the above aspect (1), the plurality of vehicles include a first vehicle that acts as a main engine and leads a secondary engine, and a second vehicle that is led by the first vehicle as the secondary engine, and the vehicle control unit moves the first vehicle in a predetermined direction and causes the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle.

[0009] (3): In the above aspect (2), the second vehicle can leave the group by an operation of the occupant, and the vehicle control unit causes the first vehicle to follow the third vehicle when the third vehicle among the second vehicles leaves the group.

[0010] (4): In the above aspect (3), the vehicle control unit controls the following speed of the first vehicle so that the first vehicle approaches the third vehicle faster as the distance between the first vehicle and the third vehicle increases.

[0011] (5) In the above aspect (3) or (4), the vehicle control unit causes the first vehicle to display the direction of the third vehicle as seen from the first vehicle.

[0012] (6): In any of the above aspects (2) to (5), the second vehicle includes a fourth vehicle that has been prohibited in advance from leaving the group, and the vehicle control unit controls the fourth vehicle so that it does not leave the group.

[0013] (7): In any of the above aspects (2) to (6), at least a first vehicle among the plurality of vehicles is an omnidirectional vehicle, and the vehicle control unit, when the first vehicle is traveling, always faces the front of the first vehicle toward one of the second vehicles, regardless of the traveling direction.

[0014] (8): In any of the above aspects (1) to (7), the plurality of vehicles are omnidirectional vehicles, and the vehicle control unit causes the fronts of the plurality of vehicles to face in the same direction regardless of the direction of travel when the plurality of vehicles are traveling.

[0015] (9): In any of the above aspects (1) to (8), the vehicle control unit makes the inter-vehicle distance between the multiple vehicles smaller when the multiple vehicles are traveling under a specific condition than the inter-vehicle distance when the multiple vehicles are not traveling under the specific condition.

[0016] (10): A mobile object control method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a computer that executes a vehicle control process to grasp the positional relationships of a plurality of vehicles and control the movement patterns of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationships, and in the vehicle control process, controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group and changes the movement patterns of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles in accordance with the movement results of the portion of the plurality of vehicles.

[0017] (11): A program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a vehicle to grasp the positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles, and executes a vehicle control process that controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes the movement pattern of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles in accordance with the movement results of the portion of the plurality of vehicles. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the above aspects (1) to (11), a plurality of vehicles can be moved as a group with a higher degree of freedom. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a first diagram showing a schematic external view of an inverted pendulum type vehicle related to a vehicle control system of the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing a schematic external view of the inverted pendulum type vehicle in the vehicle control system of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an omnidirectional wheel. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a first diagram showing an example of operation of an inverted pendulum type vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing an example of operation of an inverted pendulum type vehicle. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a group of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100 traveling together. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a group of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100 traveling together. [Figure 10] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a vehicle control device 200 in the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first control method. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second control method. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a third control method. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a fourth control method. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a fifth control method. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a sixth control method. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a seventh control method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of a mobile object control device, a mobile object control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [Summary] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing the outline of the appearance of an inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 related to a vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment. The vehicle control system 1 is a system that controls the movement of a group of multiple inverted pendulum type vehicles 100. FIG. 1 shows the appearance as seen from the front, and FIG. 2 shows the appearance as seen from the side. The inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 is a vehicle in which a boarding section is provided on a base body to which a moving mechanism for moving on a floor surface and a driving device for driving the moving mechanism are assembled, and the vehicle is configured so that when a user U (passenger) riding on the boarding section tilts his / her body relative to the vertical direction, the vehicle changes its traveling direction to the tilting direction.

[0022] The inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 includes, for example, omnidirectional wheels 101 as a moving mechanism, a drive unit 102 that drives the omnidirectional wheels 101, an operation panel 103, a riding section 104, and a base 106 that integrally assembles them. The omnidirectional wheels 101 are wheels that enable the vehicle to immediately move forward in any direction (360 degrees in all directions) from its current position (omnidirectional movement) without making any preparatory movements such as turning.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the omnidirectional wheel 101. The omnidirectional wheel 101 includes, for example, a large diameter wheel 101A and a plurality of small diameter wheels 101B arranged along the circumference of the large diameter wheel 101A. The large diameter wheel 101A is a wheel that mainly realizes linear movement in the forward and backward directions. The small diameter wheel 101B is a wheel that mainly realizes lateral movement on the spot by rotating in the direction of arrow B around the rotation direction (circumferential direction; arrow A) of the large diameter wheel 101A as an axis. The omnidirectional wheel 101 drives the rotation of the large diameter wheel 101A and the small diameter wheel 101B by a motor (not shown) that can independently control the rotation. With this configuration, the omnidirectional wheel 101 can move forward and backward, left and right, or diagonally from the spot.

[0024] The inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 may include a turning wheel in addition to the omnidirectional wheels 101. For example, the turning wheel is disposed as a rear wheel of the omnidirectional wheels 101, and can change the orientation of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 by rotating on a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the large diameter wheel 101A. In other words, when only the turning wheel is rotated, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 can be rotated on the spot, and when the large diameter wheel 101A and the turning wheel are rotated simultaneously, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 can be turned forward and forward while changing its orientation in the traveling direction.

[0025] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing an example of the operation of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100. The inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 is equipped with an IMU sensor for detecting the balance state of the vehicle, and the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 is configured to balance the vehicle based on the detection result of the IMU sensor. FIG. 4 shows a case where a user U shifts his / her weight to the right with respect to the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 configured in this way, with the front direction being the front direction of the paper. In this case, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 moves to the right to recover the balance lost due to the weight shift of the user U. FIG. 5 shows a case where the user U shifts his / her weight backwards (to the right of the paper), and in this case the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 moves backwards to recover the balance. By performing such balance control, the user U can instruct the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 on the direction of movement by shifting his / her weight in the direction he / she wants to proceed. In addition, when the user U shifts his / her weight significantly, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 is controlled to move faster to recover the balance. This allows the user U to adjust the moving speed of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 by changing the amount of his / her weight shift.

[0026] [Overall configuration] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment. For example, the vehicle control system 1 is used as a control system for an inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 that provides users with a means of transportation within a facility such as an amusement park or a theme park (hereinafter simply referred to as a "park"). The vehicle control system 1 includes, for example, a plurality of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100, a vehicle control device 200, and a management terminal 300. The example of FIG. 6 shows inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 as the plurality of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100. The inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 have a wireless communication function and are connected to a network NW via a wireless base station BS. The inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 can communicate with the vehicle control device 200 via the network NW. On the other hand, the vehicle control device 200 and the management terminal 300 are installed in a data center or the like of a company that operates the park, and can communicate with the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 moving within the park via a network NW. The network NW may be a LAN (Local Area Network) or may include a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a state in which users U1 to U6 who have traveled from one area A1 in a park on inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 to other areas view attractions A and B and then travel to another area. In this embodiment, the vehicle control device 200 controls the operation of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 so that the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 travel as a group. For example, FIG. 6 shows a case in which the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 are controlled to travel in a platoon. Platooning is an example of a method of travelling as a group. Hereinafter, a mode of travelling in which a plurality of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100 travel as a group will be referred to as "group travelling".

[0028] Specifically, the vehicle control device 200 wirelessly communicates with the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 via the wireless base station BS, and acquires position information from each of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6. The vehicle control device 200 recognizes the positional relationship of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 based on the acquired positional information, generates control information (hereinafter referred to as "group control information") for making the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 run in a group based on the recognized positional relationship, and transmits it to each vehicle. The management terminal 300 is a device for registering various settings related to the control of group running in the vehicle control device 200. For example, the management terminal 300 may be a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet, or may be a terminal device such as a PC fixedly installed at a predetermined location. The management terminal 300 may be installed in any location as long as it can communicate with the vehicle control device 200.

[0029] In the following, unless otherwise specified, each of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 will be collectively referred to as the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100, and the group of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100-1 to 100-6 will be collectively referred to as the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the users U1 to U6 will be collectively referred to as the user U.

[0030] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 in this embodiment. The inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 includes, for example, a driving device 102, an operation panel 103, a position information acquisition unit 105, a wireless communication unit 110, an IMU 120, an indicator 130, a battery 140, a storage unit 150, and a control unit 160. The inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 is realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as the memory unit 150 (a storage device having a non-transient storage medium), or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the memory unit 150 of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 by attaching the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) to a drive device.

[0031] The driving device 102 and the operation panel 103 are as described above. The driving device 102 drives the omnidirectional wheels 101 under the control of the control unit 160. The operation panel 103 accepts input operations for the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 and outputs them to the control unit 160, and also outputs information such as video and audio output by the control unit 160. The position information acquisition unit 105 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) transmitter, acquires position information of the host vehicle, and provides it to the vehicle control device 200.

[0032] The wireless communication unit 110 is a communication interface that connects the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 to a network NW. The wireless communication unit 110 communicates with the vehicle control device 200 via the network NW. The wireless communication unit 110 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) interface based on Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) interface that connects to a cellular network, a dedicated line, or the like.

[0033] The IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) 120 is a sensor that detects three-dimensional inertial motion. The IMU 120 includes an acceleration sensor that detects translational motion, a gyro sensor that detects rotational motion, and the like.

[0034] The indicator 130 is a device such as a sign, a gauge, a display, a pointer, or an indicator, and is a device that displays decorations related to the state of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 or the user U.

[0035] The battery 140 functions as a power source that supplies power to each component of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100. For example, a rechargeable storage battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or a nickel-cadmium battery is used as the battery 140. The battery 140 may be fixed to the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100, or may be detachable from the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100.

[0036] The storage unit 150 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 150 stores various information related to the control of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100.

[0037] The control unit 160 controls the operation of the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100. The control unit 160 includes, for example, a first control unit 161 and a second control unit 162. The first control unit 161 recognizes the driving operation due to the weight shift of the user U under balance control based on the detection result of the IMU 120, and controls the operation of the omnidirectional wheels 101 so as to move in the direction of the detected weight shift at a speed according to the magnitude of the weight shift. This allows the user U to steer the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 by driving operations such as those described in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.

[0038] The second control unit 162 controls the running of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle runs in a group together with other member vehicles as a member vehicle of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G by operating in cooperation with the first control unit 161 based on the group control information received from the vehicle control device 200. For example, the second control unit 162 receives information indicating a moving direction, a moving speed, a moving target, a direction of the host vehicle, and the like for causing the host vehicle to run in a group as group control information from the vehicle control device 200. The second control unit 162 determines the amount of operation required for each functional unit of the host vehicle to run in the manner notified by the group control information, and operates each functional unit with the determined amount of operation, thereby causing the host vehicle to run in a group.

[0039] 8 and 9 are diagrams showing an example of group traveling by a plurality of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100. In the vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment, the group of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G is configured to include one or more parent vehicles and one or more child vehicles, and the vehicle control device 200 is configured to perform group control as a parent vehicle or group control as a child vehicle for each member vehicle. In group traveling, the parent vehicle is controlled to travel in a manner that mainly leads the child vehicles, and the child vehicles are controlled to travel in a manner that mainly is led by the parent vehicle. In this embodiment, the member vehicles of the group of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G are configured to function as either parent vehicles or child vehicles.

[0040] For example, setting information indicating whether the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 functions as a parent vehicle or a child vehicle is registered in advance in the storage unit 150, and the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 registers its own role in the vehicle control device 200 by transmitting the setting information to the vehicle control device 200, for example, at startup. The vehicle control device 200 recognizes the role of each vehicle (parent vehicle or child vehicle) based on the setting information registered in this manner, and generates group control information for causing each vehicle to travel in a group in a manner according to its role. The role of each vehicle may be registered in the vehicle control device 200 by a park manager or the like using a management terminal 300.

[0041] In the following, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 as the parent vehicle will be referred to as parent vehicle 100P, and the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 as the child vehicle will be referred to as child vehicle 100C. In the following, an inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G consisting of one parent vehicle 100P and five child vehicles 100C-1 to 100C-5 will be considered as an example.

[0042] 8 shows an example of group running in which each of the slave units 100C-1 to 100C-5 of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G follows the master unit 100P. For example, in this case, the vehicle control device 200 sets the movement target of the master unit 100P to a predetermined destination in the park, and sets the movement targets of the slave units 100C-1 to 100C-5 to the master unit, respectively, thereby realizing the group running in FIG.

[0043] 9 shows an example of a group of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G traveling in a convoy by forming a convoy and traveling in a convoy. Such a group traveling is generally called a convoy traveling. For example, in this case, the vehicle control device 200 sets a predetermined destination in the park as a moving target for the parent unit 100P as in the example of FIG. 8, while setting the parent unit 100P, child units 100C-1, 100C-2, 100C-3, and 100C-4 as moving targets for the child units 100C-1 to 100C-5, thereby realizing the convoy traveling of FIG. 9.

[0044] 8 and 9 show an example of group traveling, and the mode of group traveling is not limited to the illustrated platoon traveling. Group traveling may be any mode of traveling as long as the members of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G are controlled to move while being managed within a predetermined range (hereinafter referred to as the "group range") RS.

[0045] In this way, by the cooperative control of the first control unit 161 and the second control unit 162, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100, which is a member vehicle of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G, is basically controlled so as not to leave the first group range RS of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G to which it belongs, while allowing a certain degree of driving operation by the user U. Therefore, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 is controlled so that it can leave the first group range RS while traveling in the first group, depending on the driving operation by the user U.

[0046] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the vehicle control device 200 in this embodiment. The vehicle control device 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a control unit 230. The vehicle control device 200 is realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in a storage device (storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as the storage unit 150 in advance, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and may be installed in the storage unit 220 of the vehicle control device 200 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in a drive device.

[0047] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface that connects the vehicle control device 200 to the network NW. The communication unit 210 communicates with the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 and the management terminal 300 via the network NW.

[0048] The storage unit 220 is a storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, or a flash memory. The storage unit 220 stores various information related to the operation of the vehicle control device 200. For example, the storage unit 220 stores, for each inverted pendulum type vehicle 100, affiliation information D10 indicating the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G to which the vehicle belongs, allocation information D20 indicating the allocation of the parent unit 100P and the child unit 100C in the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G, control setting information D30 indicating how to control the group traveling of each inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G, and the like.

[0049] The control unit 230 performs processing for making the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G run in a group. The control unit 230 includes, for example, a positional relationship grasping unit 231 and a vehicle control unit 232. The positional relationship grasping unit 231 acquires position information from each member vehicle of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G, and grasps the positional relationship of each member vehicle based on the acquired positional information. In addition, the positional relationship grasping unit 231 is configured to recognize the surrounding environment of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G based on map information within the park and detection information of people, obstacles, etc. within the park, and to grasp the positional relationship between each member vehicle and the positional relationship between the surrounding environment and each member vehicle.

[0050] The vehicle control unit 232 controls the movement of each member vehicle so that the member vehicles travel in a group based on the recognized positional relationship of the member vehicles of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G. More specifically, the vehicle control unit 232 controls each member vehicle so that the member vehicles do not leave the group range RS, and changes the movement of the other member vehicles depending on the movement results of some of the member vehicles.

[0051] Hereinafter, some specific examples of the method of controlling the group traveling of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G by the vehicle control device 200 will be described. [First control method] Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the first control method. In the first control method, when any child unit 100C in a certain inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G leaves the range of the first group, the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G is controlled so that at least the parent unit 100P among the other child units 100C and the parent unit 100P follows the child unit 100C that has left. Here, Fig. 11 shows an example of a case where the child unit 100C-1 leaves the range of the first group in the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G in which the child units 100C-1 to 100C-5 have been moving following the parent unit 100P. In this example, parent unit 100P is controlled to follow child unit 100C-1, and the other child units 100C-2 to 100C-5 are controlled to follow parent unit 100P, but some or all of the other child units 100C-2 to 100C-5 may also be controlled to follow child unit 100C-1.

[0052] [Second control method] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the second control method. In the second control method, the speed of the parent unit 100P or other child units 100C following the child unit 100C that has left the group range in the first control method is controlled according to the distance between the left child unit 100C and the parent unit 100P or other child units 100C following it. FIG. 12 shows an example of controlling the speed of the parent unit 100P when the parent unit 100P follows the left child unit 100C-1. In FIG. 12, the length of the arrow indicates the magnitude of the speed. In the example of FIG. 12, when the distance between the parent unit 100P and the child unit 100C-1 is L1, L2, L3 (L1>L2>L3), the vehicle control device 200 controls the following speed of the parent unit 100P to be speeds V1, V2, V3 (V1>V2>V3) according to the magnitude of the distance. According to the second control method, the further the child unit 100C-1 leaves the group range, the faster the other vehicles are made to follow the child unit 100C-1, so that the other vehicles can quickly catch up with the child unit 100C-1 that has left. For example, when a child operates the child unit 100C and a parent operates the parent unit 100P, the parent can be less likely to lose sight of the child that has left the group. On the other hand, the closer the child unit 100C that has left is to the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G, the slower the other vehicles are made to follow it, so that the child that has left (hereinafter referred to as the "leaving vehicle") can be tracked without unnecessarily disrupting the traffic environment in the park.

[0053] [Third control method] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the third control method. In the third control method, the direction in which the leaving vehicle is located is indicated on at least the parent unit 100P among the following vehicles following the leaving vehicle in the first control method. Specifically, the vehicle control device 200 calculates the direction of the leaving vehicle as seen from the parent unit 100P based on the position information of the leaving vehicle and the position information of the parent unit 100P, and instructs the parent unit 100P to indicate the information indicating the calculated direction. In response to this instruction, the parent unit 100P indicates the direction of the leaving vehicle using the indicator 130. According to such a third control method, the following vehicles including the parent unit 100P can track the leaving vehicle while being aware of the direction in which the leaving vehicle exists. Therefore, even if the leaving vehicle is hidden behind an obstacle X as in FIG. 13 and cannot be seen, the following vehicles can track the leaving vehicle with confidence that the leaving vehicle exists beyond the obstacle X, so that it is safe. The third control method may be combined with the second control method.

[0054] [Fourth control method] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the fourth control method. In the fourth control method, in the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G, the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100 that cannot leave the first group range are set in advance. For example, FIG. 14 shows a case where, among the child units 100C-1 to 100C-5, the child units 100C-1 and 100C-2 are set as vehicles that cannot leave. In this case, the child units 100C-3 to 100C-5 can move beyond the first group range by being operated by the user U. On the other hand, the child units 100C-1 and 100C-2 cannot leave the first group range because they are set as vehicles that cannot leave.

[0055] Specifically, the non-leaving vehicle is realized by disabling the operation of the user U in the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100. For example, the vehicle control device 200 may be configured to disable the operation of the user U for the child unit 100C set as a non-leaving vehicle when the child unit 100C is about to leave the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G, or may be configured to disable the operation of the user U at all times for the child unit 100C set as a non-leaving vehicle. Furthermore, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 may be configured to disable the operation of the user U at all times when set as a non-leaving vehicle. According to such a fourth control method, by setting the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 to be lent to a user U who has difficulty in operating it alone as a non-leaving vehicle in advance, it is possible to provide a means of transportation in a group running for a group accompanying such a user U.

[0056] [Fifth control method] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the fifth control method. The fifth control method is to control the orientation of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G while they are traveling. For example, FIG. 15 shows a case where the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G traveling in a platoon with the parent vehicle 100P at the front are caused to travel in a platoon while facing the front of each inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 in the same direction. As described above, the inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 can start moving in any direction from the spot by the omnidirectional moving wheels. Therefore, in this case, the vehicle control device 200 can realize the platoon traveling of the example of FIG. 15 by orienting the front of each vehicle of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction and moving each vehicle to the right. In this case, the group of users passes in front of the attraction A while viewing it from the front direction. In other words, according to the fifth control method, it is possible to have a group of users gaze in a specific direction while moving the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G in a direction different from the direction of gaze, thereby providing a more realistic attraction for the group of users.

[0057] [6th control method] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the sixth control method. The sixth control method, like the fifth control method, controls the orientation of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G while the vehicle is traveling. However, while the fifth control method faces the front of each inverted pendulum type vehicle 100 in the same direction, the sixth control method faces the front of the parent unit 100P toward the child unit 100C regardless of the traveling direction. Since the parent unit 100P plays a role of leading the child unit 100C in the traveling group, it basically travels at the front of the traveling group in most cases. Therefore, in this case, the parent unit 100P travels while facing the front in the opposite direction to the traveling direction, as shown in FIG. 16. That is, according to the sixth control method, the front direction of the parent unit 100P can be directed toward the child unit 100C regardless of the traveling direction of the parent unit 100P. Therefore, in this case, a user U of the parent unit 100P (for example, a leader) can lead the group of inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G while visually checking that the group is following and communicating with the group.

[0058] [7th control method] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the seventh control method. The seventh control method is to control the inter-vehicle distance of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G. Specifically, the seventh control method is to make the inter-vehicle distance when the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G is traveling under a specific situation smaller than the inter-vehicle distance when the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G is not traveling under the specific situation. For example, the specific situation may be that the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G is traveling in a specific place, or that the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G is traveling at a predetermined speed or less. According to such a seventh control method, the inter-vehicle distance of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G can be maintained at an appropriate distance according to the traveling situation, so that the traveling mode of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G can be restricted according to the situation and the place in the park.

[0059] The vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment configured in this manner includes a positional relationship grasping unit that grasps the positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles, and a vehicle control unit that controls the movement manner of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship, and the vehicle control unit includes a vehicle control device 200 configured to control the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and to change the movement manner of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles in accordance with the movement results of the portion of the plurality of vehicles. With this configuration, the vehicle control system 1 of the embodiment can move the plurality of vehicles as a group with a higher degree of freedom.

[0060] <Modification> In the above embodiment, the vehicle control device 200 capable of communicating with each member vehicle via the network NW controls the group traveling of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G. However, the control function of the group traveling may be provided in each inverted pendulum type vehicle 100, not in the vehicle control device 200. For example, the positional relationship grasping unit 231 and the vehicle control unit 232 of the vehicle control device 200 may be provided in the parent unit 100P of the inverted pendulum type vehicle group 100G. In this case, for example, each member vehicle is configured to have a wireless communication function such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) so as to be able to communicate with other member vehicles. In addition, in this case, the parent unit 100P stores information such as the affiliation information D10, the allocation information D20, and the control setting information D30 in advance in the storage unit 150. For example, the parent unit 100P may be configured to grasp the positional relationship between the member vehicles by collecting the respective positional information from each child unit 100C, or may be configured to grasp the positional relationship between the member vehicles based on information such as the directivity and strength of the wireless communication transmitted and received. In this case, the parent device 100P generates group control information and transmits it to each child device 100C.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the vehicle control system 1 that controls the group traveling of the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100G has been described, but the vehicle control system 1 is also applicable to cases where moving objects other than the inverted pendulum type vehicles 100 are caused to travel in a group. More specifically, the first to fourth control methods of the vehicle control system 1 are applicable to cases where moving objects having a wireless communication function are controlled to travel in a group, and the fifth to seventh control methods are applicable to cases where moving objects in which the traveling direction and the front direction of the vehicle can be made different are controlled to travel in a group.

[0062] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. A storage device storing a program; a hardware processor; The hardware processor executes the program, Grasp the relative positions of multiple vehicles, execute a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; In the vehicle control process, the plurality of vehicles are controlled so as to move as a group, and a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles is changed according to a movement result of the portion of the plurality of vehicles. The vehicle control device is configured as follows.

[0063] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1...vehicle control system, 100G...inverted pendulum type vehicle group, 100...inverted pendulum type vehicle, 100C...child unit, 100P...parent unit, 101...omnidirectional moving wheel, 101A...large diameter wheel, 101B...small diameter wheel, 102...driving device, 103...operation panel, 104...boarding unit, 105...position information acquisition unit, 106...base, 110...wireless communication unit, 120...IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), 130...indicator, 140...battery, 150...storage unit, 160...control unit, 161...first control unit, 162...second control unit, 200...vehicle control device, 210...communication unit, 220...storage unit, 230...control unit, 231...positional relationship grasping unit, 232...vehicle control unit, 300...management terminal

Claims

1. a positional relationship grasping unit configured to grasp a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles including a first vehicle which serves as a main vehicle and leads a secondary vehicle, and a second vehicle which serves as a secondary vehicle and is led by the first vehicle; a vehicle control unit that controls a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; Equipped with the vehicle control unit controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, the second vehicle is capable of leaving the group by an operation by a passenger; the vehicle control unit causes the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle in response to moving the first vehicle in a predetermined direction, and when a third vehicle of the second vehicles leaves the group, causes the first vehicle to follow the third vehicle. Mobile control device.

2. a positional relationship grasping unit configured to grasp a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles including a first vehicle which serves as a main vehicle and leads a secondary vehicle, and a second vehicle which serves as a secondary vehicle and is led by the first vehicle; a vehicle control unit that controls a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; Equipped with the vehicle control unit controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, at least a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is an omnidirectional vehicle; the vehicle control unit causes the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle in response to moving the first vehicle in a predetermined direction, and causes the front of the first vehicle to always face the direction of any one of the second vehicles regardless of the traveling direction when the first vehicle is traveling. Mobile control device.

3. A positional relationship grasping unit that grasps a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles; a vehicle control unit that controls a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; Equipped with the vehicle control unit controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, the plurality of vehicles are omnidirectional vehicles; The vehicle control unit causes the front direction of each of the plurality of vehicles to face in the same direction regardless of the traveling direction when the plurality of vehicles are traveling. Mobile control device.

4. the vehicle control unit controls a following speed of the first vehicle so that the first vehicle approaches the third vehicle faster as a distance between the first vehicle and the third vehicle increases. The mobile object control device according to claim 1 .

5. The vehicle control unit causes the first vehicle to display a direction of the third vehicle as seen from the first vehicle. The mobile object control device according to claim 1 .

6. The second vehicle includes a fourth vehicle that is prohibited from leaving the group in advance, The vehicle control unit controls the fourth vehicle so as not to leave the group. The mobile object control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

7. The computer a positional relationship grasping process for grasping a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles including a first vehicle which serves as a main vehicle and leads a secondary vehicle, and a second vehicle which serves as a secondary vehicle and is led by the first vehicle; a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; A moving object control method for executing the above, the vehicle control process controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, the second vehicle is capable of leaving the group by an operation by a passenger; the vehicle control process includes causing the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle in response to moving the first vehicle in a predetermined direction, and, when a third vehicle of the second vehicles leaves the group, causing the first vehicle to follow the third vehicle. A method for controlling a moving object.

8. The computer a positional relationship grasping process for grasping a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles including a first vehicle which serves as a main vehicle and leads a secondary vehicle, and a second vehicle which serves as a secondary vehicle and is led by the first vehicle; a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; A moving object control method for executing the above, the vehicle control process controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, at least a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is an omnidirectional vehicle; the vehicle control process includes causing the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle in response to moving the first vehicle in a predetermined direction, and causing the front of the first vehicle to always face the direction of any one of the second vehicles regardless of the traveling direction when the first vehicle is traveling. A method for controlling a moving object.

9. The computer A positional relationship grasping process for grasping a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles; a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; A moving object control method for executing the above, the vehicle control process controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, the plurality of vehicles are omnidirectional vehicles; the vehicle control process includes, when the plurality of vehicles are traveling, causing the front direction of each of the plurality of vehicles to face in the same direction regardless of the traveling direction. A method for controlling a moving object.

10. On the computer, a positional relationship grasping process for grasping a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles including a first vehicle which serves as a main vehicle and leads a secondary vehicle, and a second vehicle which serves as a secondary vehicle and is led by the first vehicle; a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; A program for executing the vehicle control process controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, the second vehicle is capable of leaving the group by an operation by a passenger; the vehicle control process includes causing the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle in response to moving the first vehicle in a predetermined direction, and, when a third vehicle of the second vehicles leaves the group, causing the first vehicle to follow the third vehicle. program.

11. On the computer, a positional relationship grasping process for grasping a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles including a first vehicle which serves as a main vehicle and leads a secondary vehicle, and a second vehicle which serves as a secondary vehicle and is led by the first vehicle; a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; A program for executing the vehicle control process controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, at least a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is an omnidirectional vehicle; the vehicle control process includes causing the second vehicle to follow the first vehicle in response to moving the first vehicle in a predetermined direction, and causing the front of the first vehicle to always face the direction of any one of the second vehicles regardless of the traveling direction when the first vehicle is traveling. program.

12. On the computer, A positional relationship grasping process for grasping a positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles; a vehicle control process for controlling a movement mode of the plurality of vehicles based on the positional relationship; A program for executing the vehicle control process controls the plurality of vehicles to move as a group, and changes a movement mode of other vehicles different from the portion of the plurality of vehicles according to a movement result of the portion of the vehicles, the plurality of vehicles are omnidirectional vehicles; the vehicle control process includes, when the plurality of vehicles are traveling, causing the front direction of each of the plurality of vehicles to face in the same direction regardless of the traveling direction. program.

Images